Tim Thomas’ most memorable games have come in the postseason. Now, it’s time for another one. 

When the B’s host the Capitals Wednesday in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, they’ll need more than the sometimes good, sometimes great -- and at points, underwhelming -- Thomas they’ve seen this postseason. They’ll need vintage Thomas. The same one who blanked the Canucks last June 15 on a night in which his only struggle came when he didn’t know what to do with the Conn Smythe upon being awarded by Gary Bettman on the Rogers Arena ice.

The series has, statistically at least, been the closest playoff series in the history of the NHL (never before had the first six games been decided by one goal). Based on the way both teams have played -- tough in the neutral zone and blocking tons of shots in their own ends -- you’d have to expect that Wednesday will be another close one. In a game that could be decided by one goal (maybe even the only goal, like Game 1 of this series and Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference finals) the B’s will need Thomas to be the best player on the ice. 

That would be nothing new in the postseason for Thomas, of course. He followed last season’s record-setting and Vezina-winning regular-season performance by dominating the postseason to the tune of a .940 save percentage and four shutouts, two of which came in critical Game 7s.

While the angle of Game 7 experience is a rather tired one -- did you know the players have just as much (actually, more) Game 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 experience? -- Thomas hasn’t always taken over games when advancement or elimination is on the line (prior to last season, he had lost his two Game 7s, one of which saw him allow five goals), but his track record from last year certainly gives the B’s a lot to like about their netminder heading into Wednesday.

“I don't think anybody really gives it too much thought back there because he's always going to give you 100 percent of the battle and the compete level to keep the puck out of the net, so it's never really a question mark in Game 7, Game 1 or the middle of the season," Andrew Ference said of Thomas after Game 6. "He's always going to give you his hardest effort.”

Thomas’ style is unorthodox. He’s aggressive and, to put it quite technically, all over the place. People don’t know how he does what he does, but he does it. Before the Stanley Cup finals began last June, Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo quipped that the difference between the two was that unlike Thomas, he made saves facing the shooter. The comment was lighthearted and clearly meant to be complimentary by Thomas (Luongo added that he couldn’t do what Thomas had been doing) but it would be taken out of context after Luongo was critical of Thomas’ style following Game 5 of the series. 

But everyone knows that Thomas has thrown out the book en route to becoming one of the best goaltenders of his generation. It’s worked for him, especially when it’s mattered most. 

Thomas’ most memorable save of the 2011 postseason was his stick save on Tampa’s Steve Downie in Game 5 of the conference finals. Thomas showed tremendous upper-body strength by extending his stick and batting down a puck that was headed into the net. He made a similar play in Game 6 against the Capitals on Sunday when he dove across his net to get a stick on Marcus Johansson’s second-period bid. It was the save of the series, but nothing new for the Bruins. 

“I think that those are the saves that are just pure competitiveness,” Ference said. “Obviously the standard ones where he has good positioning and makes a standard save don't make the highlight reel, but there's more of those than the flopping around ones. I think the TV obviously likes the flopping around ones because those are the dramatic ones, and the ones where he never gives up. 

“Those are fun to watch, because it's nice to have teammates that don't give up, especially to keep the puck out of the net.”

For all of the talk that Thomas hasn’t been the same guy as he was at this point last year, that line of thinking isn’t exactly true. His 14 goals allowed in this series is the same total he allowed through the first six games last postseason. Only 12 more saves last year separate Thomas’ numbers from being the exact same. 

As the postseason went on, Thomas got better, though it took him until the Game 3 of the conference finals to register his first shutout. In games in which the Bruins faced elimination last year, Thomas and the B’s were 4-0 with two shutouts and a 1.25 goals-against average. 

The Capitals have bought into coach Dale Hunter’s system, making them a much more defensively sound team than they had been in years past. They’ve made it tough for the Bruins to get to rookie goaltender Braden Holtby, so you can expect the Bruins to have an uphill climb when it comes to beating the young goaltender -- who has also allowed 14 goals this series -- regularly. 

Thomas won’t only need to be better than Holtby, he’ll need to be better than everyone else at the Garden. After shutting out the Capitals in Game 1, bookending the series in similar fashion would make Wednesday just the latest memorable Game 7 of Thomas’ career.

“We've been in these situations before, but like I said [after Game 5], each time you have to do it, it doesn't just happen,” Thomas said. “It doesn't just come. You have to get yourself prepared and just bring it or you're not going to get the result you want.”